Udon Thani, Thailand.

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The tricycle-motor called "Skylab" in Udon Thani

Udon Thani

Located 564 kms. from Bangkok, Udon Thani was once a flourished community dating back to prehistoric period. Nowadays, it stands as a hub of transport and communications of the upper Northeast with several tourist destinations and facilities.

Udon Thani, a province on the northeastern plateau of Thailand, covers an area of 15,589 square kilometers, with its boundary stretching to Nong Khai in the north, Khon Kaen in the south, Sakon Nakhon in the east, and Nong Bua Lamphu in the west.

Udon Thani is situated on a plateau with mountains and forested area in the west stretching southwards along the provincial border from Amphoe Nam Som nd towards the southeast near Kalasin and Sakon Nakhon provinces. The plateau gradually slopes down along Haui Luangstream to the Mekong river to the province's northeast.

The area covering Amphoe Muang, Amphoe Kumphawapi, Amphoe Nong Han, Amphoe Phen, and Amphoe Ban Dung, is thus a fertile plain best for rice farming.

Udon Thani is divided into 18 Amphoes (District) and 2 King Amphoe (Subdistrict) as following:

Amphoe Muang
Amphoe Ban Phue (55 Km.)
Amphoe Phen (43 Km.)
Amphoe Wang Sam Mo (96 Km.)
Amphoe Chai Wan (62 Km.)
Amphoe Na Yung (129 Km.)
King Amphoe Ku Kaew (65 Km.)

Amphoe Nong Wua So (39 Km.)
Amphoe Ban Dung (84 Km.)
Amphoe Non Sa-ard (53 Km.)
Amphoe Sang Khom (68 Km.)
Amphoe Nong Saeng (35 Km.)
Amphoe Sri That (72 Km.)
King Amphoe Prajak Sillapakhom
(36 Km.)

Amphoe Nong Han (33 Km.)
Amphoe Kumphawapi (43 Km.)
Amphoe Kut Chap (24 Km.)
Amphoe Thung Fon (65 Km.)
Amphoe Narm Som (110 Km.)
Amphoe Phi Bun Rak (63 Km.)

How to get to Udon Thani

By car from Bangkok, drive along the highway no.1 (Phahonyothin Rd.) to Saraburi Province, turn right at kilometer maker 107 to the highway no.2 (Mittaphab) further on via Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen to Udon Thani, total distance 562 kms.

By Bus

Non Air-conditioned and air-conditioned buses leave for Udon Thani daily from Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal during 5.00-22.00 hrs. For more details, please contact offices in Bangkok Tel. (02) 2710105 for non air-conditioned bus and Tel. (02) 2794484-7 for air-conditioned bus.

By Rail

The state Railways of Thailand provides daily train service between Bangkok-Udon Thani. Further information is available at Tel. (02) 2237010, 2237020 in Bangkok and in Udon Thai Tel. (042) 222061.

By Plane

The Thai Airways International files Bangkok-Udon Thani- Bangkok daily. Further informations, please call TG-Bangkok Tel. (02) 2800070, 2800080 and TG-Udon Thai Tel. (042) 243222.

Local Transportation

Mini-bus is available in city between 05.30-20.00 hrs. while the local buses link the city to all towns in day time.

Prince Prajak Sillapa-khom Monument at Amphoe Muang Udon Thani

Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest

Amphoe Muang

Nong Prachak

Udon Sunshine Fragrant Orchid Farm

Other Amphoe

Ban Chaing National Museum (Amphoe Nong Han)

Phra Buddha Baht Bua Bok (Amphoe Ban Phue)

Map of Udon Thani

Nong Prachak

Nong Prachak

Nong Prachak located within the province, the lake is centered by an islet arranged as a public park with a great variety of trees and flowers. It is a popular place for recreation among the townspeople.

Prajak Sillapakhom lake, known as Nong Prachak, is a vast stretch of water within Udon Thani Municipality. It was formerly called "Nong Na Klua" and later renamed Prajak Sillapakhom in memory of Prince Prajak Sillapa-khom. Nong Prajak was in 1987 given a face-lift to celebrate His Majesty the King Bhumibol's 60th birthday anniversary. Colourful decorative and flowering plants add to the pleasant atmosphere of the lake.

Ban Chiang National Museum

Ban Chiang National Museum

Located at Tambon Ban Chiang, Amphoe Nong Han, the museum puts on exhibition various steps of archaeological excavation, prehistory and prehistoric artifacts of northeastern Thailand, as well as excavations, tools, pottery, ancient technology, and artifacts of Ban Chiang. An exhibition on Ban Chiang once put on display in U.S.A. is also exhibited. Open daily except Mondays, Tuesdays, and national holidays from 5.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Ban Chaing, Thailand-The place the world forgot seven thousand years ago.

Udon is a province in the northeastern of Thailand, not far from Vietnam and Laos. An unbelievable story happened in that area, which have interested many archeologists. Ban Chiang is not far from Udon, about 50 kilometers by car, and is situated on a large plateau. According to the eldest resident of Ban Chiang, a 92 year-old man said that, nearly two centuries ago there were four families who immigrated from Chiang Khwang, Laos by crossing the Khong River. They settled down on a large plateau in forest full of big trees. Four persons, hand in hand, still could not embrace some of them. The plateau area had an abundance of water and a variety of animals. The settlement was well situated for farming, fishing, raising pigs cattles gardening and hunting. Today there are 700 families in the village They are still working as framers,merchants,weavers and owners of tailor and coffee shops. It is amazing that no foreigners have traded there. Although there were once some Chinese and vietnamese businessman, but since their business did not prosper, they had to go away. Now there are only Thai merchants come of whom own and operate restaurants, coffee shops, and tailor shops in the village. On the basis of pottery discovered in PULU VILLAGE next to BAN CHIANG and dating seven centuries to the Sukothai period, historians believed the BAN CHIANG was deserted for three or four centuries before the four families mentioned above, arrived there.

For nearly two centuries residents of the area had noticed many skeletons and other things but they did not realize how important they were. In 1966 a young American bachelor, named Steve Young, came across pieces of broken potteries and informed the Fine Arts Department, which has now given its attention to it and the excavation of the mound at Ban Chiang was begun in the years 1966-1967 and 1972. Many skeletons, skulls, bones of animals, pottery of different shapes and sizes and patterns-red-cream-colour and a swirling geometric, spirals, leaves, thumb-impressed designs were discovered. All are of globular shape at the bottom and flare out in a kind of trumpet design, at the top. They look like the ancient wine pot of Greece or Egypt. Red ocher was discovered: flint, iron and copper weapons-axes, copper hatchet, blades, hoes, short and long spears copper bells, green beads. dark blue beads, glass beads and turquoise were also found.

The Thermo-Luminescence Test conducted by the University of Pensylvania on articles excavated by the Fine Arts Department of the Thai government, testified that the painted pottery in Ban Chiang is 6000-7000 years old. Most of the pieces are similar to those excavated in the Anatolian Plain in Mesopotamia, Iraq and Turkey. Similar green beads copper bells, and magnetic beads have also been found in North and Central America and in Mexico and date from the bronze and stone ages. The Red Indians, the Maya, and the Aztecs, used them as money for a short period. Since they had no single medium of exchange, they used green beads, jade, copper bells of different sizes, clams shells, feathers, hatchets and magnetic beads to barter for things they wanted. It appears then that 5500-5000 B.C. since the people of Asia Minor, the Anatolian Plain, the Indus River Valley, Africa, Greece, Egypt, Europe and China might have migrated or traded with the Red Indians in the North and Central America and Mexico, it is quite possible that Ban Chiang is one of the oldest cities known in the world.

The manner in which the ancient Ban Chiang people buried articles and corpses is very similar to that of the people in Eyenan, Palestine, about 8000 years ago. It is most amazing that the pattern found at Ban Chiang, dates 8000 years back both have the same thumb impressed pattern. Style of painting, red-on-cream color started from Hacilar, Turkey in the years 5500-5000 B.C. or about 7472-6972 years ago, which is the same period as those discoveries of Ban Chiang. From Turkey culture spread out to Europe, Africa, Egypt, India, probably China. Very little has written about South East Asia. Egypt had pottery of red-on-cream type around 3500 B.C. China around 2000 B.C. Kalanay, Philippines and Non Nok Tha, Phu Wiang Khon Kaen around 5000 B.C. All of these dates are the dates for the finds, later than Ban Chiang. Mr. Chester F. Comman from the University of Hawaii, wrote in the Scientific American Magazine that there were Neolithic People in South East Asia; in Northern Thailand in the spirit caves, in Non Nok Tha, Khon Kaen in Hua Binh, north Vietnam, in Formosa, and the Philippines. These people knew how to grow rice, how to grow beans, to hunt, to weave, how to sail along the coast knew the art of invention. It is very sad that no one could write about Ban Chiang since the Thai people only knew how to write about 1000 years ago. It seems the world forgot, or did not know about Ban Chiang. Now there are almost a thousand pieces of pottery of many patterns, in red-on cream colour designs, spirals, and especially thumb impressed patterns, that are the same as the pottery in Jerico and the Anatolian Plain. This has made every body wonder about who were the people of this red-on-cream culture in Thailand.

Is it possible that the people from Ban Chaing migrated to America or across India to Asia Minor or that a group of nomads from Asia Minor came to South East Asia and Thailand, especially to Ban Chiang, and then moved from Ban Chiang to America in that period?

In many other places around Udon, Sakhon Nakhon, pottery of the same shape and colour, and similar weapons, necklaces, and bracelets have been found. Some are made of copper, clay or brass. Many green stone beads, crystal glass and magnetic beads have also been found in these excavations.

Na Kha Village, 16 kms. from the province on Udon Thani - Nong Khai route (the Highway 2), the village is famous for its hand woven cloth called "Khit" of which various types of products are made and also put on sale.

The Phra Buddha Baht (Holy Footprint) Bua Bok

The Phra Buddha Baht (Holy Footprint) Bua Bok enshrined at the foot of the Khao (Mount) Phu Phan ten kilometers west of Amphoe Ban Phue, which is itself some fifty kilometers from Udon proper, is greatly revered by the people. Celebrations are held from March 11 to 15 each year to pay respect to the 40-meter tall pagoda housing the Holy Footprint and a piece of Holy Relic.

The entire area of the Phra Buddha Baht Bua Bok is around 1,200 acres. Rocks of different sizes and shapes dot the beautiful landscape, with caves and caverns. Pre-historic paintings over cliff faces have been discovered, although many leave only the faintest of traces. Nature-loving trekkers may take a hike around the area, which takes around two hours.

Udon Sunshine Fragrant Orchid Farm is located about 2 kilometers from town along the bypass way, with a left turn to Nong Samrong. From early morning until about 1PM. the air in the farm is filled with the sweet fragrance of Udon Sunshine Orchids. The flowers and Udon Sunshine perfume are available at the farm and local product shops in Udon Thani. Mr. Pradit Khamphoemphun, the owner of the farm, also initiates several other advantageous natural and agricultural projects.

Udon Saeng Tawan (Sunshine) Orchid Garden located in Soi Kamol Watthana on Udon-Nong Samrong route, the garden produces and puts on sale a new species of Thai scented orchid called "Udon Sunshine".

Huai Luang Reservoir, a large reservoir under the Royal Irrigation Department's responsibility, covers and area of some 20,000 rais with the capacity of 113 milion cubic meters for water. It feeds 86,000 rais of agricultural area and also serves as a source of water animals for food and public water supply. Huai Luang is a scenic attraction ideal for rafting, fishing and cruising. A summer palace was constructed for the King's Mother who comes to stay here almost every year when she was a life.

To get there, drive along the Udon Thani-Nong Bua Lamphu route, turn to a branch road at kilometer maker 15 and furter on for another 10 kilometers.

Map of Udon Thani
Map of Northeast Thailand (110 Kb)

Information

: Tourism Authority of Thailand, 4 Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10100, THAILAND.

Tel. : (66 2) 281-0422 (20 Lines), E-mail : tat@cs.ait.ac.th
: Tourist Service Center (TAT and Tourist Police), Tel. 1155
: Tourism Authority of Thailand Tourist Service Center
: TAT Northeastern Office : Region 5

16/5 Mukmontri Rd., Amphoe Muang, Udon Thani 41000

Tel.: (66 42) 325-406-7; Fax: (66 42) 325-408

E-mail : tatudon@esan.inet.co.th

Area of Responsibility : Udon Thani, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai and Loei